Police bust Jaish cell plotting attack, arrest three

New Delhi: Police on Wednesday said they had busted a major Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist module and arrested three suspects who were planning an attack in Delhi and neighbouring areas. Ten suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh later sent the three -- Mohammed Sajid, Shakir Ansari and Sameer -- to 10 days police custody.

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED), 11 live batteries, six dry batteries, two timer devices, three pipes and 250 grams of explosive powder to be used for making bombs were recovered from them.

Special commissioner of Police (Special cell) Arvind Deep told IANS that 10 more people were being questioned for possible links to the JeM and for providing logistical support to the terror cell.

Police officials said the terror module was active and plotting to target "sensitive areas with maximum footfall like busy markets, shopping malls and other crowded places in Delhi and the national capital region".

Police said the module was being closely monitored by special cell of Delhi Police with the help of the Intelligence Bureau for the last six months. It was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh since Tuesday.

A police officer, requesting not to be named, said the suspects confessed to have learnt online how to assemble IEDs.

They were now trying to procure more devices and execute their plan, the police officer said.

Sajid, in his early 20s and a tailor by profession, was said to be one of the most wanted terrorists, whose left palm got burnt while assembling IED some time ago.

He was arrested from his house in Chandbagh in Gokulpuri in east Delhi. Police claimed to have found residues of burned explosives in Sajid's house.

Police believe that Sajid may have been assembling a bomb when it triggered accidentally and burnt his hand.

"Shakir is the main accused and was heading the module. He was in direct touch with JeM operatives in Pakistan and was planning to visit Pakistan in coming days," the police officer said.

Shakir was arrested from his residence in Deoband in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh with the help of the state's Anti Terrorist Squad. Sameer was arrested from his house at Loni in Ghaziabad.

Both Shakir and Sameer were said to be directly linked to the Jaish, which is suspected for the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot.

The police said the three arrested and 10 detained knew each other and were in touch with each other through WhatsApp.

"They held several meetings and the most recent known meeting was on December 20 at Sajid's house," Deep, the special commissioner, told IANS. He added that all the terror suspects did recce at several places in Delhi and NCR.

Most of the detained suspects are below 30 and are residents of Delhi.